Dodi Lukebakio's Missed AC Milan Move and Impact at San Siro
There was a moment, not so long ago, when Dodi Lukebakio’s goals were supposed to light up San Siro for AC Milan, not silence it.
Back in August 2025, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan’s directors were working on multiple fronts. Talks with Marseille for Adrien Rabiot were ongoing, while another name kept surfacing in the recruitment meetings: Dodi Lukebakio. The then-management, led by Igli Tare, made an enquiry and placed the Belgian winger firmly on their list of targets.
The context was clear. Conrad Harder had slipped through their fingers, the deal collapsing, and Milan suddenly needed a new solution on the right. Samuel Chukwueze was on his way to Fulham, suitcase practically closed, and the club were scrambling for a replacement with guaranteed end product. Lukebakio, fresh from an 11-goal season in Spain with Sevilla, ticked every box.
Quick. Versatile. Left-footed. A winger who can shoot with venom and improvise in tight spaces. Those are the traits Davide Bartesaghi discovered at close range on Wednesday night. Perhaps a little too close. Every time Lukebakio cut inside, Bartesaghi felt the danger. Every time he opened his body to shoot, San Siro held its breath.
In the end, though, that Milan move never materialised. Negotiations cooled, then disappeared. Lukebakio packed his bags, but not for Italy.
He left Spain and, in early September, signed for Benfica in a deal worth around €25m. A five-year contract, a €50m release clause, and a new chapter in Portugal. Milan chose another route and reshaped their attack without him.
On Wednesday, the what-if came back to haunt them.
Lukebakio’s opener at San Siro was straight out of his playbook. A natural left-footer, he loves to hug the touchline, wait for the right moment, then drive infield. From there, it’s either a whipped cross or a curling shot towards the far post. This time, he chose the latter. Same trademark movement, same brutal execution. Milan’s defence knew what was coming. They still couldn’t stop it.
At 28, Lukebakio has already lived a career that feels like a tour of European football. Belgium, England, Germany, Spain, and now Portugal. He has worn the shirt of Hertha Berlin, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Sevilla and others, and wherever he goes, the goals follow. He has already hit double figures in a single season for Hertha, Fortuna and Sevilla.
On the international stage, he has 33 caps for Belgium and six goals to his name, adding weight to a profile that keeps growing with every campaign.
Now the question shifts to Lisbon. With Benfica, in a league that often rewards attacking flair and risk-takers, can he reach double figures again and push his numbers to a new level?
